Self-build (1)

Tom Copley: Do you have an estimate of how many people have signed up to “Right to Build” self-build registers in London?

The Mayor: Local authorities have a duty to keep individual registers of interest in self-build opportunities under the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015. I do not hold information about these individual registers.

Dial-a-Ride

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide for each borough, broken down by month, how many trips, refusals, cancellations and service cancellations there were for all periods since January 2018.

The Mayor: The number of Dial-a-Ride trips, refusals, cancellations and service cancellations for all periods since January 2018 for each London borough are attached (see Appendix A 2019/0143). It should be noted that the adverse weather conditions in Period 12 2017/18 which covers January 2018 are reflected in the number of service cancellations, which were implemented for safety reasons.
Transport for London (TfL) are working on a programme of change, as part of the Assisted Transport Services Roadmap, to bring door-to-door services such as Dial-a-Ride into the 21st Century, whilst retaining an ongoing focus to improve its day-to-day performance. This includes working in close partnership with delivery partners such as Community Transport Groups to deliver more journeys and improving scheduling efficiency. TfL is also beginning the process of procuring a new booking and scheduling system which will bring further benefits.

TfL Board Changes

Keith Prince: With regard to your response to MQT 2018/2660, when do you expect the TfL Board to have a Member with experience in Operational Safety matters?

The Mayor: I am pleased to announce my appointment of Mark Phillips as a member of the Transport for London (TfL) Board with effect from 21 January 2019. Mark is currently Chief Executive of the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), the Deputy Chair of the British Transport Police Authority and a Member of the Transport Research and Innovation Board. He has extensive experience of major business change programmes and in the rail industry.
Mark will attend his first meeting of the Board on 30 January 2019, which will also consider his appointment to its Committees and Panels.

TfL Safety Panel

Keith Prince: With regard to your response to MQT 2018/2661, will you consider posting the contact details of the individual members of TfL's Safety Sustainability and Human Resources Panel on the TfL Website? If not, how is a member of the public supposed to contact members of this "very effective" committee?

The Mayor: The Help and Contacts page on the Transport for London TfL) website https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/ provides details of how the public can raise issues with TfL on safety, sustainability and HR issues.
Strategic safety issues for the attention of the Panel can be sent to the TfL Secretariat by email at [emailprotected] or in writing at Post Point 10a, 6th floor, City Hall, 110 The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA – as set out on TfL’s How We Are Governed page https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/how-we-work/how-we-are-governed.

Piccadilly Line Trains

Keith Prince: Are you content that the first 40 of the 94 trains that Siemens will build for the Piccadilly Line will be built in Vienna?

The Mayor: The Siemens Mobility Ltd’s factory in Vienna is an established facility which Transport for London (TfL) has assessed to ensure it can produce trains to the quality and reliability standards needed to serve Londoners on one of the world’s busiest underground lines.
The recent award of the Piccadilly line train contract is a key step in allowing Siemens to progress its plan to build a new factory in Goole, East Yorkshire, to manufacture and commission the new fleet. TfL will work with Siemens to maximise the number of trains being built in this facility.

Report on Human Error

Keith Prince: In response to Question 2018/2658, you stated that in TfL’s 24 July 2018 Board Report on Human Error “the discussion around the audit report at the SSHR meeting of 26 June 2017 did not play a part in this and hence is not contained in the report.”

However, two recent Freedom of Information Requests - https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/decision_to_insert_a_post_meetin#... and https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/complete_copy_of_email_from_sshr#... - show that SSHR Panel Members and TfL Staff expressed so much concern about the accuracy of the 26 June 2017 statement by the MD for Surface Transport that they forced that meeting's minutes to include a note which essentially refuted it and on 6 August 2017 the SSHR Chair reported his panel members’ concern about the “specificity and reliability of some management responses in recent meetings”. Given that there is a body of evidence to suggest that SSHR Panel Members were already expressing concern about the First Group Fatigue Audit IA 17 780 in summer 2017 (while both RAIB and SNC Lavalin were investigating), will you reconsider your decision not to investigate why the Fatigue Audit was not forwarded to both Tram Crash Investigation team when TfL Management had plenty of time to do so and, moreover, had already confirmed it had done so?

The Mayor: The 24 July 2018 Transport for London (TfL) Board Report, published on the TfL website, reported to the TfL Board why the audit of fatigue management processes within FirstGroup’s Tram Operations Limited was not issued to the external organisations investigating the Sandilands tram overturning incident immediately upon its completion. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has now dealt with the audit in its October 2018 Addendum. I consider the TfL Board Report to be an adequate explanation, and do not intend to launch a further investigation.

"Makeover Monday" Data Challenge on TfL's bus safety data

Caroline Pidgeon: Recently a crowd-sourced challenge called "Makeover Monday"analysed TfL bus safety data from 2015 to Quarter 2 in 2018. Was TfL aware of this exercise and will it consider contacting the organisers to improve the presentation and quality of its bus safety data?

The Mayor: I know effective use of data is critical to achieving Vision Zero. Transport for London (TfL) is continually exploring how bus safety data can more easily be made available, understood and shared in a timely way. While TfL was not aware of the exercise undertaken by the Makeover Monday online community, it does plan to review the results of the exercise. TfL’s dashboards also contain an email address, [emailprotected] , where suggested improvements can be submitted.

Dedicated charging points for electric taxis (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: How many dedicated charging points for electric taxis exist at Heathrow?

The Mayor: There are 7 taxi dedicated rapid charging points at Heathrow, operated by Heathrow airport. There are also at least 31 non-rapid chargers accessible to taxis at Heathrow airport, operated by Podpoint.

FirstGroup Tram Operations Limited's 30-year tram contract

Caroline Pidgeon: When the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) re-issued its Croydon crash investigation in October 2018 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a2a6289ed915d458e4214ba/R182017_181024_Sandilands_v2.pdf)to account for the missing Fatigue Audit 17 780, it stated on page 180: "RAIB observes that the conclusions of the TfL audit are consistent with its own finding that, at the time of the accident, TOL’s management of fatigue risk was not in line with published industry practice, and that there was significant scope for improvement." Given the scale of these failings, have you, as Chair of TfL, considered the possibility of ending FirstGroup TOL's 30-year contract and re-tendering the operation?

The Mayor: We must never forget the tragedy at Sandilands, and Transport for London (TfL) and I will continue to do everything possible to ensure that such an event can never happen again.
TfL is closely monitoring and supporting Tram Operations Limited’s (TOL’s) review and improvement of its management of fatigue risk and continues to work closely with TOL on the implementation of all the RAIB recommendations. TfL does not have any plans to change the contractual arrangement in place at this time.

Bus Collisions presented in HSE reports

Caroline Pidgeon: The quarterly HSE reports presented to TfL's Safety, Sustainability and HR committee in November 2017 clearly show bus collisions increasing year on year from January 2014, however data in the HSE quarterly report published on 27th September 2018 show bus collisions decreasing for the same period. How do you explain the sudden reversal of the trend line and why was the basis used for displaying this important safety Indicator changed?

The Mayor: The Q2 2017/18 Safety, Sustainability and HR Panel report (November 2017) included bus collisions only, whereas the Q1 2018/19 report (September 2018) included the number of injuries due to bus collisions, resulting in differing trend lines.
The move to injury-based reporting was made to provide greater alignment with Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Vision Zero injury-based targets and to enhance the visibility of the contribution that collisions make to injuries across the bus network. TfL continues to refine its measures to ensure that they provide the most accurate reflection of changes in performance. As such, it now normalises the injuries by million miles operated to eliminate the effect of network changes.

Taxi and Private Hire Trade (2)

David Kurten: In a press release on 19th December 2018, TfL stated that ‘taxis are currently responsible for 20% of harmful NOx emissions and by 2020 they will be the biggest source of transport pollution in CENTRAL LONDON.’ What is their source for this statement, and how did they calculate this figure?

The Mayor: As outlined in the answer to Mayor's Question 2019/0219, the relative contribution to total road transport emissions of each vehicle type is estimated using information on the composition of the vehicle fleet, the annual distances covered, emissions factors for that class of vehicle and information on the road links on the London network. The results of this work are published in the outputs from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory.
The contribution to total NOx emissions from taxis in Central London by 2020 is estimated at around 30 per cent, making them the largest single contributor to NOx concentrations in that area.

Taxi and Private Hire Trade (3)

David Kurten: What percentage of NOx are produced by taxis in GREATER LONDON?

The Mayor: The contribution to total NOx emissions from road transport across Greater London made by taxis is around 5 per cent.
Taxis form a smaller part of the vehicle fleet across the Greater London area than they do in Central London, leading to a smaller percentage contribution in this area.

Dagenham East Station

Unmesh Desai: What discussions, if any, have you had with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham regarding proposals for a C2C stop at Dagenham East station? Would you support such a proposal?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and I are aware of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham’s significant growth and development potential. We are therefore working in close partnership with the borough to progress a number of improvements.
Currently Dagenham East station is served by high frequency District line services, which have a cross-platform interchange with c2c at Barking and interchange also possible at West Ham. TfL is currently working to transform the District line to increase capacity and reliability, making journeys faster and more comfortable. This work is scheduled to be complete in 2023. TfL is also working to extend the London Overground from Barking to Barking Riverside, and introduce new electric trains, doubling capacity on the line.
c2c rail services primarily exist to provide a convenient transport option for customers from South Essex into London. Calling these services at Dagenham East station would lengthen overall journey times, disadvantaging customers travelling from further out with longer journey times. c2c rail services already experience very high levels of demand.
TfL therefore considers that the wider impact and associated costs of this proposal would not be justified. However, as the Department for Transport is responsible for designing and procuring services on the c2c route, I would recommend seeking its views on the viability of this proposal.

Gospel Oak-Barking Line

Joanne McCartney: Can you provide an update on the current situation regarding the introduction of the new Class 710 trains on the Gospel Oak-Barking line which runs through my constituency?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is sorry for the inconvenience the delay to the introduction of the new Class 710 electric trains is causing its customers. TfL is working hard with all parties to bring the new trains into passenger service as soon as possible and to avoid any further disruption in services to its customers.
The delays have been due to the manufacturer, Bombardier Transportation, which has needed to do more work to resolve software issues before the new trains can be introduced. Unfortunately, the continuation of the software issues has meant that Arrive Rail London (ARL) has not been able to progress its driver training schedule as it had planned. ARL is ready to progress driver training as soon as these issues are resolved to allow the earliest possible introduction of the first unit into passenger service.
TfL continues to do everything possible to get the new trains running as soon as it can and, in the meantime, to maintain services for customers on the line. TfL will ensure customers and stakeholders are kept updated.
I am grateful to Bombardier for agreeing to my request to offer a month’s free travel to passengers on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line when the new trains are fully introduced.

Fatal stabbings

Caroline Pidgeon: Please publish a table showing for each year since 2002, the number of people fatally stabbed in London, broken down by age.

The Mayor: Please see attached (Appendix A - MQ2019/0137) the requested data for the period specified. It should be noted that there was a reduction during 2018 of victims of this crime type compared to the previous year; with reductions in those under 40 years of age (21 fewer victims of that age range).

Roads Funding (1)

Florence Eshalomi: You are planning to continue the policy of significantly reducing the programme of proactive road maintenance, which will lead to a significant drop in the State of good repair, for both the carriageways and footways. Is this policy sustainable long term?

The Mayor: Due to the absence of adequate central Government funding for London’s road network, Transport for London’s (TfL’s) have paused non safety-critical renewal work will continue for a second year, as planned.
A budget is available for safety-critical works, and work is still taking place daily on the capitals roads, including inspections, testing, winter preparedness, and repairing safety defects like, potholes, damaged ironwork and traffic signal faults.
TfL has estimated that this approach is likely to cause the State of Good Repair for carriageways and footways to slightly reduce by around 2 points; from 92 to 90 for carriageway and from 95 to 93 for footway. This keeps State of Good Repair at an acceptable level.
TfL is working with London’s boroughs to make the case for Government funding to support a long-term and sustainable policy for road maintenance in London to keep the nation’s capital moving, open to business and investment, and able to continue bringing significant benefits to the wider UK economy.

Small businesses scrapping polluting vehicles

Caroline Russell: A constituent has asked if your recently announced £23 million fund to help small businesses scrap their polluting vehicles will include subsidies for businesses who wish to scrap their old vehicles and purchase electric cargo bikes. Will it?

The Mayor: My diesel scrappage scheme will be targeted at microbusinesses and will help to reduce the costs of complying with the Ultra Low Emission Zone. I have asked officials at City Hall and Transport for London to developed detailed proposals on how the fund could be spent most effectively, and they will consider this suggestion as part of the process. Full details of the scheme will be released in a matter of weeks.

Good Work Standard

Caroline Russell: In answer to my question 2018/0939 you told me that that the launch of the Good Work Standard would be during 2018. Subsequently, in answer to my question 2018/3041, you told me that it had been delayed until 2019. What is the reason for the delay and on what date will the Good Work Standard be launched?

The Mayor: December is quite a busy month for most people. Here at City Hall, I announced the junk food advertising ban and released London’s Economic Development Strategy, the Food Strategy and the Culture and Creative Strategy. Away from City Hall and with the ongoing lack of clarity stemming from the Government’s mishandling of Brexit, I decided that a preview event in January would let us get out our message on the Good Work Standard louder and clearer.
The preview event was held on the 16th January where a prototype of the Good Work Standard was demonstrated to over 100 representatives from business, public bodies and voluntary and community organisations.The Good Work Standard has been developed with London’s employers, professional bodies and a range of experts and this next stage of development will allow us totest this with a number of stakeholders to make sure we get it right the first time and that it will be effective in supporting and encouraging London’s employers to adopt better and fairer employment practices, ahead of a launch in Spring.
My officers would be happy to offer you and other interested Assembly Members a preview of the Good Work Standard and will be in contact to arrange a suitable time.

The Elizabeth Line (2)

Gareth Bacon: As referred to in question 2018/2635, please publish Crossrail Ltd’s revised schedule for final infrastructure and systems testing.

The Mayor: I am clear it is essential we give Londoners and businesses who are paying for this project a credible plan as quickly as possible on when the Elizabeth line will open safely and reliably. Mark Wild’s team are working very hard to do this and establish a robust and deliverable schedule. Once that important work is complete, Crossrail Limited will then be in a position to confirm a new opening date and a revised schedule.

ULEZ

Gareth Bacon: What preparations are being carried out in the lead up to the start of the ULEZ in April 2019?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has been running an extensive multi-channel marketing campaign since spring 2018 to raise awareness of the ULEZ, encourage vehicle owners to use the online vehicle checking tool and explain how the scheme operates. So far, there have been more than 1.5m vehicle checks. Advertising has appeared on roadside posters, national, London, specialist and local press titles, radio and third party websites. Detailed information about the central zone including a map showing where the zone operates is available on the TFL website. Over 2.5m emails have been sent to customers who are on the TfL database. Further emails will be sent to customers prior to April and the advertising campaign will continue before and after implementation of the scheme on 8 April 2019. TfL has also sent 250,000 letters, via the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency, to owners of non-compliant vehicles observed in the zone during Congestion Charge hours and has featured in the Metroeditorialon the TfL travel page.
TfL has contacted more than 1,000 stakeholders, including local businesses, on signage installation and to offer support and ensure readiness for the ULEZ. TfL has also called over 8,000 businesses to discuss and support vehicle upgrade plans. A new £23m scheme to help micro-business owners scrap older, more polluting vans and switch to cleaner vehicles will be available before the ULEZ is implemented and a communications campaign is in development to encourage take up.
TfL has begun installing more than 300 ULEZ warning signs across central London. The signs, which are being installed at the same locations as existing Congestion Charge signs, ask drivers at all entry points to the zone, and on a number of key approach routes,to ensure their vehicles meet the new emission standards.

Publication of TfL’s Independent Monitoring Checks of its Bus Fleet

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your response to 2017/4307 does TfL have any intention of publishing its “monthly independent monitoring checks” of the bus fleet on its website? Please provide me with copies of these documents for 2018.

The Mayor: As the information is commercially sensitive and used for tender evaluations, Transport for London (TfL) is not able to publish its monthly independent monitoring checks or provide copies for last year. However, I have asked that you are provided with a fleet-wide overview of engineering performance.

Taxi and Private Hire Trade (1)

David Kurten: In 2016, TfL stated that black taxis were responsible for 16% of NOx emissions in CENTRAL LONDON, and they increased this figure to 18% in 2017. How did they calculate those figures?

The Mayor: The contribution of taxis to total road transport emissions is estimated using information on vehicle fleet compositions, the emissions factors for that class of vehicle and information of the individual road links within London.
The most recent estimate is that taxis are likely to contribute around 30 per cent of total road transport NOx emissions in central London by 2020 with the Ultra Low Emission Zone in place.

London Homeless Charities Group

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you ensure that SPEAR, which supports people facing homelessness in Richmond, Merton, Sutton, Kingston and Wandsworth receives funding through Tap London?

The Mayor: The London Homeless Charities Group (LHCG) receives the donations through TAP London contactless donation points and through its own GoFundMe page. LHCG determines its own membership, and so any organisations wishing to become a member should contact the Group direct.

Nationals of other EU countries [3]

Andrew Dismore: How many members of staff in TfL are nationals of other EU countries; what estimate have you made of the likely number who will return home in the event of a hard Brexit; and what are you doing to provide assistance and reassurance to them?

The Mayor: Approximately six per cent of Transport for London (TfL) employees are nationals of other EU countries. There isn’t an estimate of how many will return home in the event of a hard Brexit but I expect the Government to honour its commitment that “EU citizens living lawfully in the UK today will be able to stay” (Letter from the Prime Minister to EU Citizens, 19 October 2017).
TfL is committed to supporting its staff who are EU citizens and has made it clear that they value the contribution of everyone that works for them, whatever their origin. TfL has already committed to cover the cost to employees of applying for EU Settlement Scheme, allowing them to continue living and work in the UK. TfL also supports and regularly consults a European Staff Network Group, offering guidance and advice on Brexit to maintain employee morale and engagement during this period of uncertainty.

‘Bedrooms of London’

Fiona Twycross: The Childhood Trust has highlighted the numbers of children who do not have their own bedroom through their upcoming exhibition ‘Bedrooms of London’. What impact does not having a bedroom of their own have on children living in poverty in London and what more can be done to address the issue?

The Mayor: Children lacking a bedroom through overcrowding are more likely to be from low income households and BAME backgrounds. Lack of room to play or study inhibits children’s development and educational achievement. Adult children living with parents may delay starting their own families. More broadly, overcrowding increases the risk of accidents in the home, and there is evidence it is associated with physical ill health, as well as contributing to stress and anxiety.
I am committed to tackling overcrowding, as one of the worst symptoms of London’s housing crisis. My Housing Strategy outlines the steps that I am taking to do so. Above all, we need more social housing of all sizes, including larger homes for families who need them.

Nationals of other EU countries [4]

Andrew Dismore: What estimate have you made of the impact of a hard Brexit on TfL’s ability to recruit staff who are nationals of other EU countries?

The Mayor: No estimate has been made on the impact of Brexit on TfL’s ability to recruit staff who are nationals of other EU countries. TfL constantly monitors its recruitment policy and ability to attract the right skills and talent, and will continue to do so alongside discussions with its contractors. A marketing strategy is being developed to ensure that TfL remains competitive in attracting applications for roles advertised. TfL is also continuing to strengthen its future workforce planning and short-term resource planning activity to ensure the impact of a hard Brexit on its ability to recruit is minimised.

Federation of Small Businesses call for a soft start to the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you agree to the Federation of Small Businesses call for a significant increase in spending on external communications on the ULEZ scheme to ensure a wider awareness amongst businesses?

The Mayor: I am committed to ensuring that businesses are prepared for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That is why a substantial communications campaign has been running for the past 6 months and is planned for coming weeks.
Transport for London (TfL) has been running an extensive multi-channel marketing campaign since spring 2018 to raise awareness of the ULEZ and encourage vehicle owners and businesses to use the online vehicle checking tool, explaining how the scheme operates. To date, there have been more than 1.5m vehicle checks. Ongoing advertising is running on roadside posters, national, London, local and specialist trade press titles, radio stations targeting commercial vehicle users and on third party websites. Detailed information about the central zone including a map showing where the zone operates is available on the TFL website. Over 2.5m emails have been sent to customers who are on the TfL database so far, which includes fleets registered with TfL.Further communications will be sent to customers prior to April and the advertising campaign will continue before and after the implementation of the scheme. TfL has also sent around 250,000 letters to owners of non-compliant vehicles seen in the zone via the DVLAand further letters will be issued over the coming months.
TfL has contacted more than 1,000 stakeholders, including local businesses, regarding signage installation and to offer support and ensure readiness for the ULEZ. TfL has also called more than 8,000 businesses to provide support and is working with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) to ensure their members, who represent 7,000 small and micro businesses in the capital, are prepared.
6,000 leaflets have been produced for stakeholders explaining the scheme and where it operates. These are being distributed to organisations to share with their members and 400 havebeen provided to the FSB. The leaflet is also available in electronic form for wider distribution.
A new £23m scheme to help smaller business owners scrap older, more polluting vans and switch to cleaner vehicles will be available before the ULEZ is implemented. This will be supported by a communications campaign to encourage take up.

Buses (1)

Florence Eshalomi: The direct operating cost of the Bus Network has gone from £445m in 2012/13 to £723m in 2020/21. Why has this cost gone up and how are you going to get it back down again?

The Mayor: These figures represent the operating deficit, rather than the direct operating cost of the bus network, which has remained stable. The increase in the deficit is due to passenger demand having decreased overall over the last four years. Transport for London (TfL) has also invested significantly in improving the service, such as by adding more environmentally-friendly vehicles to the fleet.
TfL is reshaping the bus network to reflect changing patterns of passenger demand, taking away surplus capacity and adding capacity including new routes where there is growth, such as in parts of outer London. This is reflected in the latest TfL business plan. TfL also plan to make the network more attractive through a number of other initiatives, such as providing better customer information and improving the customer experience both on and off the bus.

TfL Taxi and PHV Spend

Susan Hall: What is a) the longest and b) the most expensive taxi or private hire journey that was taken in 2018 and paid for by TfL?

The Mayor: The longest and most expensive taxi journey that Transport for London (TfL) could locate on its January to November 2018 invoices (the December invoice is not available yet) was booked on 14 June with a distance of 122.34 miles and a cost of £520.88 excluding VAT.This was a booked special taxi (not a regular scheduled taxi) and is an exceptional trip linked to service disruption following a displaced conductor rail incident at Seven Sisters (this incident meant that a customer had missed their last connection to Spalding).
Although the customer could have got to Peterborough by train she would have then missed their connecting train to Spalding. London Underground was not able to book taxis from Peterborough to get the customer to Spalding as her final destination, therefore the taxi had to be booked from Kings Cross.
TfL has tightened its processes since this incident by adding a requirement to refer such matters to the Senior Operating Officer before a final decision is taken as to the appropriate action. This should avoid any such similar situations from happening in the future.

Issuing of licences for taxi and private hire drivers (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: What targets, if any, exist for the processing and issuing of licences to taxi and private hire drivers?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has a target of ten working days from receipt of a taxi or private hire driver’s licence application to check that it is complete and that mandatory requirements are satisfied, with renewal applications being prioritised over those from new applicants.
TfL has no target for when licensing decisions are taken and this depends on individualapplications. For example, the time required to process an application may increase as a consequence of:
- Applications being incomplete or inaccurate;
- TfL awaiting the disclosure and/or results of an applicant’s Disclosure and Barring Service assessment;
- Applicants taking time to pass the topographical skills assessment (private hire only); and/or
- Medical fitness assessments giving rise to further queries.
Pleasesee my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/0160 for more information on the number of outstanding applications. Once a decision has been made, TfL will issue a licence within 24 hours.